'The Lovely Bones' hits (misses)

So I take a much needed mental health break (drinking all weekend) and now I am back to bore you to death with my incessant droning.

So 'The Lovely Bones' has been seen and the over all opinion is the film is good, but not great.
Todd McCarthy of Variety says:

"Peter Jackson's infatuation with fancy visual effects mortally wounds "The Lovely Bones." Alice Sebold's cheerily melancholy bestseller, centered upon a 14-year-old girl who narrates the story from heaven after having been brutally murdered, provides almost ready-made bigscreen material. But Jackson undermines solid work from a good cast with show-offy celestial evocations that severely disrupt the emotional connections with the characters."

but he does have some good things to say about the film, especially for Saoirse Ronan performance:

"With reddish hair, brilliantly alive eyes and a seemingly irrepressible impulse for movement and activity, Ronan represents a heavenly creature indeed, a figure of surging, eager, anticipatory life cut off just as it is budding."

Surprisingly Tucci, who most have thought would be a front runner, did not get a rave from McCarthy.

Time magazine was less harsh, but still pointed to a few problems within the film:

"The plot has a few pitfalls. Jack, who fingers dozens of men as Susie's potential abductor, takes ages to notice the strange guy across the street. And Abigail departs and reappears with little organic reason. But the movie is packed with privileged moments..."

This seems to be a recurring theme. from reading the reviews at Variety and Time, then going over to AICN I read Harry Knowels swooning review, but you take him with a pinch of salt, he is always going to love Jackson. However his review seemed to lack his usual passion.
Screen Daily felt it was "exquisitely realised, sometimes frustratingly uneven."
Even Total Film doesn't sound overly excited, but does give the biggest thumbs up.

I think The Hollywood Reporter says what I feel will be what many others feel:

"This was never going to be an easy story to film. Using the same characters and many events, Jackson and his team tell a fundamentally different story. It's one that is not without its tension, humor and compelling details. But it's also a simpler, more button-pushing tale that misses the joy and heartbreak of the original."

With ten nominees the film could very well make it into the cut, but as it stands now, this is very very shaky. Perhaps Ronan and Tucci will make it, but its Oscar prospects have somewhat dipped.

Peeking

Every year it is the same. Big epic pictures that usually come out at the end of the year send out teaser pic to wet the collective appetite of us cinema whores.
This year we have had pictures for almost all of the big films, but only one actually captured any kind of real emotion from me.

Of course that would be Peter Jacksons “The Lovely Bones” and this is the image.


What was yours?

Slowly coming back

I feel a little like Whitney Houston today.
I keep saying I am returning to the world of blogging, and then ….I have nothing.
The funny thing about a break up is discovering that, compared to other huge hurdles you face, it really isn’t the end of the world.
Just seemed like it for a while.
I have discovered a few interesting things:

1) I am stronger and braver than I thought – now I just need a super power.
2) People dealing with guilt can be heartless.
3) Film and music, although wonderful, are not my oxygen.
4) My true friends are amazing people.
5) I kind of like Beyoncé more than I thought.
6) You can do a rebound in a weekend.
7) Falling in love is wonderful, if you open yourself up to it.
8) Gü yummy yummy yummy, but what to do with the left over pots? I need a Martha Stewart idea.

So what has happened in the past (nearly 5 months) that I have yet to comment on.

The Cannes film festival as a little of a let down in terms of it really has not given a clear picture of the Awards race, aside from Abbie Cornish being wonderful in ‘Bright Star”

Lots of lots of Awards season movie trailers have shown, but very few actually capture any type of awe and wonder in me.
Even though “Precious: Based on a Novel by Sapphire” is still my most anticipated film of the year, the trailer was a little life time. I have heard that the reason for this was not to put off audiences with the darkness of the film. I guess it is a good idea.
“The Lovely Bones” looks wonderful, but I am still not convinced.
“I love you Philip Morris” looks down right great. The French trailer is a little shocking (Jim Carey’s a top!)
The best trailers of the year would have to go to both “Nine” and the absolutely amazing “Where the Wild Things Are”. I felt like a kid watching that. I was transported to being a kid all over again.

So far the performances that are getting Oscars attention (from films that have opened in the U.S.) are:

Meryl Streep (naturally) for “Julie and Julia”. The praise is unanimous again. She is so over due.
Jeremy Renner for “The Hurt Locker” a film that could go all the way as the reviews are OUTSTANDING!
And Hugh Dancy for “Adam”

Over the next few months we will get a lot more information, and it is really the most exciting time for the Awards season. September, October and November Rock!

So, even though I may not be posting as frequently as I usually do, I will be checking in time and time again.

I mean I still need to think about those damn predictions.

'The Lovely Bones' trailer

Well here it is. To be honest I was hoping for something a little darker for the trailer. The book was so well liked, and Peter Jackson is such a respected director that I wonder why the decision was made to get so much into this.

From what I can tell it looks like Susan Sarandon gets the best trailer acting clips. I have a feeling this will end up being all about Saoirse Ronan and Stanley Tucci.

Will have to wait and see.



Go here for quicktime

Don't piss off Kong

So Ryan Gosling has stepped out of/been sacked from/parted ways with the Dreamworks/Peter Jackson vehicle “The Lovely Bones”.
Insiders are say nothing official although ‘creative differences’ have been sited. Remember the last time an actor stepped out of/been sacked from/parted ways with a Peter Jackson project? We are all thankfully saved from having to watch Stuart Townsend prance about as Aragorn (in hindsight I cannot even imagine that scenario…yet one more reason to love Viggo).

If it is a mutual friendly parting of ways then Gosling will be fine. This surely isn’t. The film is just days away from shooting so someone must be pissed off.
Pissing off two of the most powerful men in Hollywood right now (Jackson and Dreamworks head Steven Spielberg) is not the most intelligent career move, but Gosling has the talent to overcome this.

The good and interesting news is that he has already been replaced. Mark Wahlberg has bravely stepped into the role of Jack Salmon at the very last minute (sounds much more exciting if you add suspense don’t you think).

This is much better casting (in my opinion). Mark is old enough to be the father of the twelve year old girl ( he and his on screen wife Rachel Weiss are both thirty six as opposed to Goslings twenty seven years) plus this will be the chance for him to stretch. Gosling can play sad and forlorn with his eyes closed, this will give Wahlberg the chance to shelve his tough guy image and put on his grieving father suit.
I am sure he will wear it well, and the Academy love it when you play against type.

Atonement Review

I am pissing myself with excitement now at this. Empire has reviewed it and they completely RAVED it up and down. Most notably is this part of the review.

”if McAvoy impresses once again, it’s Knightley who finally stakes her claim in a grown-up part. Those cut-glass tones are exactly posh enough to fit Cecilia, a more brittle role than the feisty grrrrls she’s played before and one more suited to her delicate beauty. She might want to specify that Wright direct every film she makes in the future.

Romola Garai gets the more difficult role, a character who lives an almost entirely internal life. She does a fine job, but frankly she’s eclipsed by Saoirse Ronan as her 13 year-old self.”

Looks likely we may have another young supporting actress nominee. Great news for Peter Jackson’s reputation.
Read this great review of Atonement.

You can also check out another review here which is not as glowing, but still strong saying:

”And what fine actresses they are! Knightley is again in top shape, showing that her Oscar nomination for Pride & Prejudice was no accident, …. She has not a whole lot of material to work with but fills the screen with a magnetic presence (reminiscent of the Hollywood stars of the 1940s and 1950s) that nevertheless leaves her enough room to simply be the character. Saoirse Ronan is equally impressive as the young Briony….
....But the real revelation of Atonement is James McAvoy, whose Robbie is so convincing that it is no wonder that Cee doesn’t care he is not from the same class as she is. His natural charm and utterly honest demeanour are a wonder to behold and are especially noteworthy in the film’s single best scene, in which Robbie and Cee meet again for the first time after his imprisonment, in a noisy canteen somewhere in wartime London. Neither of them speaks much, but the way McAvoy and Knightley play the crude, untold emotions of this long awaited and much dreamt about encounter is simply heartbreaking.”

And that should pretty much seal it's Oscars fate.

Lars and the Real Girl trailer

You can file this under wacky movies ideas, but I have the feeling this is going to work as the underlying story is really rather tragic. The film is about a delusional young guy who strikes up an unconventional relationship with a doll he finds on the Internet. This could have gone the blow up doll sex farce route, but thankfully it appears to handle the subject matter with tact and restraint.

It is really nice to see Emily Mortimer and Patricia Clarkson again. I have missed those two dependable gals.
This could actually be a nice little showcase for Mortimer (from the trailer) as she hasn't had much chance to express herself since "Lovely and Amazing".
This will also give ole Ryan Gosling yet another chance to wow us all with his considerable talent. Still not sure about him in "The Lovely Bones" but then again Peter has yet to stear me wrong.

More exciting “Lovely Bones” news.

From The Hollywood Reporter”

Susan Sarandon is joining the cast of Peter Jackson's film adaptation of Alice Sebold's novel "The Lovely Bones."
Sarandon will play the character of Grandma Lynn, the mother to the character played by Rachel Weisz.
The cast also includes Ryan Gosling and newcomer Saoirse Ronan.

Is Sarandon a good choice?
Hell yeah!
She is a good choice in anything, but I think the serne quality she can bring to her roles will serve this production extremely well!
Could I get any more excited? Only if the other casting news comes to fruition

Brilliant casting news!!!

In brilliant casting news…well negotiation news, it appears like Stanley Tucci is in talks to play George Harvey, the killer of Susie Salmon in Peter Jacksons adaptation of “The Lovely Bones”.
For me, this is an inspired choice. Tucci can be a bit of a chameleon when it comes to his films roles (he was brilliant as ‘dock worker’ in “Who’s That Girl”).
We all remember him fondly in “The Devil Wears Prada” as he almost stole the movie from Meryl.
Being cast as the killer in this book could be the thing to make people sit up and notice. Sure the Academy do not like roles that are too dark, and child killers do not usually scoop up loads of Oscars, but it will get him LOADS of notice if he pulls it off.
I am confident he will pull it off.

The Lovely Bones! Susie Salmon has been cast!

Very very exciting news that Saoirse Ronan has been cast in the role. You should all know her as the little girl from the "Atonement" trailer. This looks to be the year of young Saoirse (watch out Dakota) she will be seen later this year in "Death Defying Acts," alongside Catherine Zeta-Jones and Guy Pearce; "I Could Never Be Your Woman," starring Michelle Pfeiffer and Paul Rudd; and "Atonement ," with Keira Knightley and James McAvoy. This summer she begins filming Walden's "City of Ember," being directed by Gil Kenan.

Physically she is the perfect choice, exactly how I imagined her in the book. We will soon see if she has the acting chops.

Peter Jackson gets in bed with Dreamworks

Peter Jackson's adaptation of the Alice Sebold novel "The Lovely Bones" has found a home at DreamWorks. DreamWorks acquired the package late Friday, beating out Warner Bros. Pictures, Sony Pictures and Universal Pictures. Unsurprisingly it was not shopped at New Line. Going with DreamWorks does feel a little like a match made in movie heaven. It seems like the type of studio that really understands movie making and movie magic.


"Bones," which went out to the town on Monday, generated a lot of heat because of Jackson's name but came under intense scrutiny for the way it was being sent to market. Jackson and his team shopped the script with a budget in the $80 million range, complete with a start of production date and, uniquely, a focus on marketing. Integral to the deal were conversations about release dates and what other films the winning company will have in the same quarter, because Jackson wanted to know how time and attention will be divided between his movie and others. Smart move. Obviously New Line did a number on him, and he is really trying to protect himself and his team.

The picture is scheduled to begin filming in October in Pennsylvania and New Zealand, and will be distributed worldwide by Paramount.
The book, published in 2002, tells the story of Susie Salmon, a young girl who is murdered but continues to observe her family on Earth after her death. She witnesses the impact of her loss on her loved ones, while her killer skillfully covers his tracks and prepares to murder again. One must assume that to have four major studios fighting it out to make the movie, it must have been one hell of a script, although it being a beloved best seller some would assume the film would sell its self. Not true I say. I figure people would rather read that type of material then see it on the screen.
Considering Jackson's skill with violence, and his horror back ground, I can see the killing of the young girl being very shocking and graphic. It needs to be in order for the audience to really hate the killer (in the book what he does is horrific) and be pulled in emotionally to Susie's post death expereinces. Plus anyone who has seen "Heavenly Creatures" will know that he has the skill to pull this of beautifully, even iron out the flaws in the final chapters.

DreamWorks' acquisition had been predicted by some quarters since Jackson developed a strong relationship with Stacey Snider, DreamWorks' CEO and co-chairman, when he made "Kong" for Universal under Snider's stewardship as chairman. The move also puts Jackson in business with Steven Spielberg. In fact, one reason DreamWorks edged out its competitors was the connection felt for the material by Spielberg, who at one point was eyeing the project.

"Alice Sebold's story affects readers in deeply personal ways and the most important consideration for me was finding a studio partner who felt an equally strong connection with the book. Not just in sharing our emotional reaction to the story, but our desire to see it told in an original, adventurous way on screen," Jackson said in a statement.

Now the hardest part. Casting the lead.